Follower-wheel construction for plows.



E. M. HEYLMAN.

FOLLOWER WHEEL CONSTRUCTION FOB PLOWS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21,1915.

1,234,762. Patented July 31,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W381i? M j IZEZVTOR Allorney E. M. HEYLMAN.

FOLLOWER WHEEL CONSTRUCTION FOR FLOWS.

1,234,762 APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. I915. 31, r.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR Atlqrney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. HEYLMAN, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR I PLOW WORKS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

Application filed October 21, 1915. Serial No. 57,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. HEYLMAN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resicertain new and useful Improvements in Follower-Wheel Construction for Plows;

and I do hereby declare the following to be' application of my a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,'such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in plows and more particularly to means for operating a rear supporting wheel for engine gang plows such as disclosed in my coplelnding application filed even date herewit provide simple and efiicient means for supporting the rear end of the plow through the medium of a follower whee1,,and for operating said wheel in a manner to efl'ect the raising and lowering of the rear end of the plow.

A further object is to provide means to normally hold the follower wheel axle in position and causezsaid wheel to properly trail in the furrowby the plow base, and at the same time permit. said. wheel to caster when the plow is turned.

A further object is to provide simple means for adjusting the mounting of the follower wheel as to regulate the depth which the rearvend of the plow base may enter the ground.

further object is to provide simple and efiicient stop devices to limit the movements of the follower wheel mounting.

With these and other objects in view, the invention, consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in theclaims. v

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side elevation position; Fig. 2

- Specification of Letters Patent.

of the bearing sleeve explained. A

One object of my present invention is torearward movement of said 0- a plow showing the improvements and the ,POSIltlOIlS assumed by the parts when the TO OLIVER CHILLED FOLLOWER-WHEEL CONSTRUCTION FOR PLOWS.

' Patented Jul 31,1917.

at its rear end to form a standard 2, the

portions of the plate brackets 4 and receives the upright portion of the axle 7 the lower end of which is mounted in the hub of a follower wheel 8 which serves to support the rear end of the plow.

The axle 7 projects above the upper end and has a head 9 se-' cured thereto, said head being made with radial projections 10 for a purpose presently bracket .arm 5 projects rearwardly from the upper end of the bearing sleeve and affords a mounting for a plunger 11 having radial projections '12 at its for-- ward end bearing against the radial projections 10 at the upper end of the axle 7 plunger being resisted by a spring 13. This construction provides a .yielding holding or locking means for the caster or follower wheel axle and serves to insure the retention of said wheel in proper alinement with the plow during .the operation of the same, but at 1 the same time permitting the wheel to caster is disposed between the standard portion of the beam 1 .and an arm 17 projecting forwardly'fromthe upper portion of the bearing sleeve 5 so as to b in position to engage said arm. i

When the plow is in working position, as shown in Fig. 1, the bearing sleeve 5 will incline forwardly, with the arm 17 bearing against the lower arm of the lever 16. A set-screw 18 passes through-the lower arm of the lever 16 and engages the standard portion of the plow beam. By means of this screw, theinclination of the bearing sleeve and axle-may be changed so as to depress or raise the follower wheel and thus adjust the depth of plowing of the rear end of the plow base.

'A balance spring 19 is connected at one end with the upper arm of the lever 16 and at the other end to the plow beam forv as-. sisting in the raising of the plow when said lever is operated. For operating said lever, a rod 20 is attached thereto, the other end of said rod being connected with suitable operating means (not shown) at the forward portion of the plow structure,the mechanism, for instance, shown in my application for patent filed concurrently herewith.

It will be readily understood that when the lever 16 is operated to move its upper arm forwardly, its lower arm will move rearwardly and 7 force the bearing sleeve rearwardly on its pivotal support, thus causing the wheel to tend to inove in the arc of a circle, but as this wheel is bearing upon the ground, the rear end of the plow will be raised. The extent of movement of the lever 16 is sufiicient to move the bearing sleeve from the inclined position shown in Fig. 1 to the vertical position shown in Fig. 2, and to limit the movement of the bearing sleeve so that it may not berearwardly moved beyond a vertical position, said bearing sleeve is provided at its lower end with an arm 21 which projects forwardly betweenthe bracket plates 4 and engages a stop 22 .011 one of said plates, as shown in Fig. 2.

- When the bearing sleeve shall have been 'moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, the

upper portion of the axle will be disposed vertically, which is the best position which 4 it may assume when the plow structure is to be transported over the ground and, when a corner is to be turned.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof 7 bracket, afollower wheel, an axle for said a follower wheel mounted in said bearing sleeve, a lever pivoted to said bracket pro jecting between the plow and bearing sleeve and engaging a part on said sleeve when the latter is in a normal inclined working position, and a set screw passing through said lever and engagingthe plow for regulating the depth of plowing.

2. The combinatlon with a plow and a bracket secured to the rear end thereof, of

a bearing sleeve pivoted near its lower end to said bracket, a follower wheel, an axle for said wheel mounted in said bearing sleeve, means for moving said bearing sleeve on its pivotal support from an inclined to a vertical position, an arm projecting 01? wardly from the lower portion of said sleeve, and a stop to be engaged by said arm to limit the rearward pivotal movement of said sleeve. r

' In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD M. HEYLMAN.

Witnesses:

Clams; A. WEBSTER, v KATE E. BUQKLEY. 

